The Toronto Media advises us not to panic. Are the Raptors where they need to be?

After reading Doug Smith’s blog this morning I felt compelled to write and respond to his assessment that the Raptors are where they should be. His advice is that we all “need to chill”. Not should, not may but need.

Although I appreciate Mr. Smith’s blog and insight he has provided over the years about the Raptors I believe that he has been drinking the Brian Colangelo cool-aid for far too long. I am also surprised that someone with his credentials and experience does not offer more insight and some reasonable suggestions but merely proposes that the Fans need to chill about the current state of the Raptors.

In his blog today he challenges us to prove to him that we thought that the Raptors should be scraping to get into the 8th and final playoff spot.

So, are the Raptors where they need to be? No they are not. Scraping to get into the 8th playoff spot this year was a realistic expectation for a team that has not been there the past 4 years. This is not merely my opinion but the expectation of many long standing Raptor fans and bloggers for this year.
Everyone has lamented (including me) if it is time to trade Bargnani. I have been advocating about a Bargnani trade since last year. I do not necessarily think that he is a horrible player and for 13 games last year I thought he had finally realized his potential. He is a very capable player and we should not dismiss this fact. What we need to look at is if he’s still the player the Raptors need in Casey’s system.
Casey’s defensive system is predicated on a strong defensive center presence. The reason the Raptors improved last year so drastically on defense is because Bargnani (on the games he played in) along with Aaron Gray and Amir Johnson provided a strong center presence when they played the position.

This year with the arrival of Valanciounas, Bargnani has looked out of place on defense. On most defensive possessions he seems lost and does not know where to rotate. Here are five reasons why Colangelo should trade Bargnani as soon as possible:

1. Trading Bargnani will accelerate Valanciounas’ growth. The young center can benefit from a defensive minded power-forward and will get to improve his offence much quicker with more shots available to go around.
2. Demar DeRosan will be given the chance to emerge as the Raptor’s offensive leader. He has already rounded out his game this year. The next step is to become the Raptors leading scorer.
3. Ed Davis will get more minutes and will emerge as one of the Raptors best players of the bench
4. The Raptors will become a top 5 defensive team by the end of the year
5. Training Bargnani will give this franchise an opportunity to start fresh. We can longer wait for Bargnani to arrive. He never will while in Toronto.

Now you probably ask who you trade for Bargnani. I would go with Pau Gasol for Bargnani and Amir Johnson. Although the Lakers might be more inclined to take Fields instead of A. Johnson, who was a great fit in D’Antoni’s system while in New York. This trade would not be feasible until late December.

Regardless of where the Raptors finish this year after a trade they would be able to improve and make a run at the playoffs next year with Gasol as the PF. The year after next they would also have $20M coming off the books when Gasol’s contract expires and they would be primed to make a significant free agent addition.

Second, it wasn't fans talking about playoffs it was Colangelo and Casey. I expected this team to be garbage, so I'm not surprised but that doesn't mean that Colangelo and company get a pass. I'm holding them to their words as should all fans.

Where they should be. Bullshit. If Colangelo thought this was a high lottery team he wouldn't have traded that pick for Lowry. Or signed Fields. This roster was built to compete. Sad as that seems.

just a quick question some one tell what derozan has done statisticaly to deserve that new found respect the numbers are about the same the only difference is 0.4 in passing and about a rebound more u need to show it to me because i dont see it

just a quick question some one tell what derozan has done statisticaly to deserve that new found respect the numbers are about the same the only difference is 0.4 in passing and about a rebound more u need to show it to me because i dont see it

He has been the Raps best player which isnt saying much .....but if he actually got the 15 or so fouls that was committed on him those numbers would look a lot better .....and anything is better the primo pasta period

I don't think BC getting fired is panicking. The Raptors are not where they are supposed to be after bringing in the players they acquired. they are pretty healthy and still are lackluster team, 3-13 is what i would expect from a team like the Wizards with no John Wall ..I am not saying put the team on a fire sell but BC has led this team down the wrong path, I do not blame the players or Casey that much.

BC has had this job way too long, and in a weak Eastern Conference and division for many years he got us to the playoffs once, that is sad.

I also won't buy the rebuilding card, we made the playoffs in 2006-2007, and by then the rebuilding period was over. He tried to speed it up by acquiring Jermaine O'neal and it has been downhill ever since. Fine we lose Bosh, well then that gives cap space for another free agent, and a high draft pick, yet we might not rebuild through the draft if we keep trading away first round picks.

I didn't expect them to be a playoff team or anything but i did expect progress, I am a bit concerned that they are better on paper yet have played as poorly as last years Raptors.

Just because fans have higher expectations for the season doesn't mean that those expectations are realistic or should set the bar.

I'd like to point out that oddsmakers (who, despite what you may think, know a shitload more about professional sports and about the NBA than any of us posting here do) put the Raps between about 32 and 34 wins across many books.

So who do you think had the more realistic expectations, the people who make billions of dollars taking money from people with high expectations, or the fans?

It's early in the season, the schedule has been rough and the team isn't performing up to par, but so what? Why does this season matter aside from development? Let things play out, if they're still in the basement at the all-star break and haven't shown signs of improving, then you can argue for drastic changes. Until then, any knee-jerk reactions are just going to set the team back further.

I don't really like Doug Smith, but I thought we would win our 5th game in 2013. I think we can do it sooner now, so we're still ahead of where I thought we'd be. I don't read his column (at all) to be able to tell you if he has made a 180 degree turn or not. Maybe someone more familiar with his stuff can confirm but I remember plenty of media buying into what Colangelo was spewing during the offseason.

Here's the way I saw it -- Colangelo traded away our first round pick. Then he started talking about playoffs. Did you honestly think he would do that and not talk about playoffs?

"Hey guys, we're going to be a lottery team again but we traded away the pick so this is another throw away season."

Just because fans have higher expectations for the season doesn't mean that those expectations are realistic or should set the bar.

I'd like to point out that oddsmakers (who, despite what you may think, know a shitload more about professional sports and about the NBA than any of us posting here do) put the Raps between about 32 and 34 wins across many books.

So who do you think had the more realistic expectations, the people who make billions of dollars taking money from people with high expectations, or the fans?

It's early in the season, the schedule has been rough and the team isn't performing up to par, but so what? Why does this season matter aside from development? Let things play out, if they're still in the basement at the all-star break and haven't shown signs of improving, then you can argue for drastic changes. Until then, any knee-jerk reactions are just going to set the team back further.

I don't think the problem is with fans expectations so much as it is with this organization expectations. Fans will always give you a wide spectrum of opinions based on a myraid of different things.

This offseason and towards the end of last season Colangelo not only made statements in attempt to raise excitment about the team (accelerated rebuild, goal of the playoffs etc), but made moves with the clear indication he was expected a relative level of success (playoffs).

I don't think firing or replacing Colangelo (or other significant moves such as trading Bargnani) is a knee jerk reaction. This is the 2nd time he, for lack of another term, has been on the chopping block (atleast the fans). To others he was a mistake to resign the first time. At the very least he is coming up to the end of his 2nd chance. If MLSE (Bell/Rogers) begins to think replacing him is a good idea, it may be just as good to let him go rather than keep a lame duck GM. In general change has been a long time in coming, actually starting to make that necessary change after 4+ years is not knee jerk. Its a slow and steady deterioration of knee.

As for the odds maker I think its important to remember their job isn't to get it right. Its to try and predict how wrong the public is willing to be. In gambling the house never needs to be right and they don't try to be. Now I don't think there is anything wrong with using their over-unders or spreads to get an unbias opinion of roughly what others think of the team, but its not a statement. Its a prediction of where they can draw the most bets.

Just because fans have higher expectations for the season doesn't mean that those expectations are realistic or should set the bar.

I'd like to point out that oddsmakers (who, despite what you may think, know a shitload more about professional sports and about the NBA than any of us posting here do) put the Raps between about 32 and 34 wins across many books.

So who do you think had the more realistic expectations, the people who make billions of dollars taking money from people with high expectations, or the fans?

It's early in the season, the schedule has been rough and the team isn't performing up to par, but so what? Why does this season matter aside from development? Let things play out, if they're still in the basement at the all-star break and haven't shown signs of improving, then you can argue for drastic changes. Until then, any knee-jerk reactions are just going to set the team back further.

Just because fans have higher expectations for the season doesn't mean that those expectations are realistic or should set the bar.

I'd like to point out that oddsmakers (who, despite what you may think, know a shitload more about professional sports and about the NBA than any of us posting here do) put the Raps between about 32 and 34 wins across many books.

So who do you think had the more realistic expectations, the people who make billions of dollars taking money from people with high expectations, or the fans?

It's early in the season, the schedule has been rough and the team isn't performing up to par, but so what? Why does this season matter aside from development? Let things play out, if they're still in the basement at the all-star break and haven't shown signs of improving, then you can argue for drastic changes. Until then, any knee-jerk reactions are just going to set the team back further.

Repeating, in part, what Craiger said:

1. This isn't about fan expectations. It's about management's expectations. He traded his first rounder. Raptors management talked about "accelerated rebuild" "competing for playoffs". High expectations weren't on the fans. It's on BC and co.

2. Why does this season matter? Cause management said it would. Why do I have to wait until the All-Star break? 6 years of this, the last 4 of total garbage, isn't enough time to make a judgment about this management team?

3. Knee-jerk? Again, it's closing in on 7 freaking seasons. How long do you people need to make a judgment on things? Why not just give them all lifetime contracts? Jebus.

EDIT: By the way, through the SA game, the Raps had played the 7th easiest schedule in the NBA.

1. This isn't about fan expectations. It's about management's expectations. He traded his first rounder. Raptors management talked about "accelerated rebuild" "competing for playoffs". High expectations weren't on the fans. It's on BC and co.

2. Why does this season matter? Cause management said it would. Why do I have to wait until the All-Star break? 6 years of this, the last 4 of total garbage, isn't enough time to make a judgment about this management team?

3. Knee-jerk? Again, it's closing in on 7 freaking seasons. How long do you people need to make a judgment on things? Why not just give them all lifetime contracts? Jebus.

EDIT: By the way, through the SA game, the Raps had played the 7th easiest schedule in the NBA.

Couldn't agree more. Bryan Colangelo is one of the highest paid GMs in the NBA and what does he have to show for it? One winning season? 3 wins in the playoffs? Lost a franchise player in Bosh for pretty much nothing?

If you look at the schedule in January, we play 11 teams that are currently sitting in a playoff spot. Fast forward to end of April and our last 7 games of the season are also against playoff-bound teams. Do people honestly think this team will turn things around especially when we're going on a west coast trip after the Phoenix game? Add to the fact that John Wall, Avery Bradley, Gerald Henderson, Hedo Turkoglu, Kyrie Irving, and etc. will be back in mid-December.

Doug Smith is so clueless about everything. His sources are garbage. A day or two before DeRozan got extended, he was like there's a 90% chance he won't be extended. Pathetic sports journalist.

Can't believe only one guy has called Colangelo out.

doug smith has excellent sources, he has inside access to the raptors organization. Unfortunately, he's too stupid to separate the truth from the lies they feed him. It doesn't help that he has a very know it all attitude.